We noticed that some patents are related to the complexation of opioids, NSAIDs, as well as natural products, in different types of CDs. The use of CDs creates the prospect of developing new therapeutic options for the most effective treatment of painful conditions, allowing a reduction of dosage of analgesic drugs and the occurrence of side effects. Thus, CDs can be an important tool to improve the efficacy and pharmacological profile of analgesic drugs.

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an obesity-driven disorder with pandemic proportions and limited treatment options. Oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation and altered autonomic regulation, are important components of MetS pathophysiology. We recently reported that galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and an FDA-approved drug (for Alzheimer's disease) alleviates the inflammatory state in MetS subjects. Here we examined the effects of galantamine on oxidative stress in parallel with inflammatory and cardio-metabolic parameters in subjects with MetS. Methods: The effects of galantamine treatment, 8 mg daily for 4 weeks, followed by 16 mg daily for 8 weeks or placebo were studied in randomly assigned subjects with MetS (n=22 per group) of both genders. Oxidative stress, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase activities, lipid and protein peroxidation, and nitrite levels were analyzed before and at the end of the treatment. In addition, plasma cytokine and adipokine levels, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and other relevant cardio-metabolic indices were analyzed. Autonomic regulation was also examined by heart rate variability (HRV) before treatment, and at every 4 weeks of treatment. Results: Galantamine treatment significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities, including SOD (+1.65 USOD/mg protein, [95% CI 0.39 to 2.92], P=0.004) and CAT (+0.93 nmol/mg, [95% CI 0.34 to 1.51], P=0.011), decreased lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, -5.45 pmol/mg, [95% CI -10.97 to 0.067], P=0.053) and systemic nitrite levels (-0.05 nit/mg protein, [95% CI -0.21 to 0.10], P=0.038) compared with placebo. In addition, galantamine significantly alleviated the inflammatory state and insulin resistance, and decreased the low frequency/high frequency ratio of HRV, following 8 and 12 weeks of drug treatment. Conclusion: Low-dose galantamine alleviates oxidative stress, alongside beneficial anti-inflammatory, and metabolic effects, and modulates autonomic regulation in subjects with MetS. These findings are of considerable interest for further studies with galantamine to ameliorate MetS pathophysiology. Clinical Trial registration #NCT02283242

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of action of royal jelly (RJ) and propolis in an animal model of oral mucositis (OM).Methods Seventy-two male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 18): control (no treatment), PBMT (intraoral laser, 6 J/cm2), RJ, and propolis. On days 0 and 2, animals received injection of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The buccal mucosa was scratched (days 3 and 4) and the treatments were initiated on day 5. Six animals of each group were euthanized on days 8, 10, and 14. Phytochemical analysis (thin-layer chromatography-TLC), clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical of pS6, pAKT and NF-κB and oxidative stress markers were also investigated.Results TLC revealed the presence of large amounts of sucrose (Rf 0.34) in RJ and flavonoids in propolis. On day 8, lower clinical OM scores (and day 10) and morphological were observed in the PBMT, RJ and propolis groups (p < 0.05). On day 8, immunoexpression of pS6, pAKT and NF-κB was increased when compared to control. On day 14, GSH antioxidant levels were increased in the propolis group compared to control (p < 0.05).Conclusions Our results showed that RJ and propolis, as well as PBMT, are effective in the treatment of OM. The RJ and propolis may explain their excellent wound healing activity and anti-inflammatory effects. Considering that not all patients who develop OM have access to PBMT, the present study demonstrated that topical application of RJ and propolis may be an important alternative for the treatment of OM.